Gifts
by AllForFire
Summary: Their last affair involving gifts resolved itself pretty weirdly, yet perfectly. All's well that ends well, as they say. But when Mhyrra Adaar and Sera both take another crack at gift-giving, what strange sweetness shall ensue? My first ever submition! Merry Christmas to you all!


**_(Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or any of its related characters or materials. I only own my dear Inquisitor, Mhyrra Adaar.^^ ;) )_**

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><p>The morning air was cool and clear as Mhyrra stood at her balcony, drinking in the majestic view of the surrounding peaks and valleys.<p>

She always was one to admire the beauty of nature wherever she might spot it, whether it was back then, trekking with her mercenary company towards the next job, or now, marching up and down the length and breadth of Orlais and Ferelden, righting wrongs and blasting fools.

One thing that very occasionally bothered her was, ironically, the quiet. The wind's low howling was appreciable, but on its own lacked that certain element of Life that one would find if it were accompanied by a rushing stream, or trees rustling.

Thinking of life and noise, Sera's face flashed across her mind, her laugh ringing in her ears.

She smiled. Her life had certainly become more…well, _lively_ ever since the blond ball of lightning had rolled into it. And not that it had not already been beforehand, even discounting her time in the Valo-Kas. Surviving the Breach, saving the scrambling remains of the Conclave, getting shangheimed into the newly reborn Inquisition…Not that much actual shangheiming had actually been necessary. She could hardly sit idle while others fought for the fate of the world, especially when she could help better than most.

And yet, after they'd journeyed for that first time to Val Royaux, and after that spectacle of an audience with that gaggle of Grand Clerics, there the elf had struck, arrow complete with invitation planting right at her feet. Wishing to join the Inquisition, without prompt, for reasons that, however convoluted, essentially boiled down to "because it's right".

She'd extended her hand. Sera had took it, hopping all the while.

Sera never bothered to hide her infatuation with her. She'd practically started swooning over her the moment they'd met. Mhyrra had been strangely flattered to have her physique serve another function than to overpower or intimidate. She had to admit the elf was pretty and charming, in her own ways, and said she'd be interested in seeing where it went, if it even started.

From there followed talking and getting to know the other better, herself apparently one of the rare few to take the time to listen and navigate Sera's unusual jargon, to glimpse the reasoning and sense, such as they were, underneath her methods and madness.

They actually shared a few of fundamental opinions, mostly on the archetypical manners and conducts of nobility, concern for those who were not "bony-fide badasses like us" as she'd put it, and bemoaning how everyone around them seemed intent on presenting their problems as far more complex than they really were, when in truth the solution, the _working_ solution that they often wound up resorting to could be summed as "Hammer it hard enough and it either gives in or gets in shape right quick."

They both recognized that violence and aggression, physical or otherwise, shouldn't necessarily be their _first_ resort, but this was _war_ being waged between _crazy_ people. You can't reason with the unreasonable.

Many times she would find herself in Sera's company, the lithe little spitfire often waltzing up to her, even as they travelled with the others, partly because she was the one with the most tolerance for some of her more inane ramblings, partly because she claimed she "wanted to get the best view of 'her height', and mostly because, as she would later say when her wit ran dry and sincerity broke through, "I just like you better." So simple, yet so valid.

Down the streets of Val Royaux, hiking through the Hinterlands, through the raid on Redcliffe, the two had been practically paired – or chose to pair themselves – together, the Qunari mage and the elven archer. Very often Bull and Varric would join in on their squad, though the others were more than welcome.

And when the Siege of Haven came, Sera had been particularly against her 'holding the line' as it were. Touched, Mhyrra had promised her to come back alive in one piece, that promise hanging in the back of her mind as she trekked through the snow after dropping a mountain on Corypheus and his pets.

When they'd made it to Skyhold, after she'd been named Inquisitor, they both had talked, herself buzzing, Sera rattled. Her unease, her fear, was palpable even through her attempts at flippancy. Sera wondered how mad she had to be to still stick around after an Archdemon and a Darkspawn Magister became the menu-du-jour. How pretty Mhyrra had to be.

She'd raised a bemused brow. "I don't know, how indeed am I pretty enough to merit such bravery from my arrow-pelting princess?" She had teased theatrically, hand to her chest, the other raised to the sky.

Sera had coloured, spurred by her nerves into blurting out her answer.

"You're built like a dragon, got eyes greener than I ever thought green could be, and horns and hair I could run my hands through for _hours_. Shite yeah I think you're pretty!"

Well. Flattery had never gotten many people anywhere with Mhyrra, but no way Sera couldn't be sincere with how she was jittering. Before she could respond with honest thanks and offer her own grandiose description of Sera in return, the elf had ploughed on.

"But that ain't the only reason I'm still here!"

"Oh? And what's the other one?"

She had looked down, playing with her hands, before gazing back up.

"Just tell me…You're going to put things right, yeah? Kick Coryphallus right in the dangle-bag?"

She'd grinned, flexing and patting her bicep, clenched fist crackling with lightning.

"I'm going to put Corypheus six feet under and whip Thedas back into shape, both of them kicking and screaming if that's what it takes. Just you watch."

Sera grinned right back. "There you go. Can't let you have all the fun. Plus, getting to watch you _whipping_ things…_woof_."

More and more they would end up spending time together, whether just swapping barbs about their friends, trading flirts or felling fools by the dozens.

And after turning a particularly pompous noble into the world's ugliest pincushion, they'd just been talking, congratulating each other, when she'd finally relented to Sera's ceaseless invitation, curious beyond capacity, enticed beyond extreme as to just what all this was leading to, what it would feel like.

It was…intense. Passionate. She'd never felt so drained, save from a handful of Commander Helaine's more demanding training sessions, and Sera felt she'd be walking more bow-legged than her actual bow for hours if not days. But never before had either woman felt so…exquisite.

Yet even as primal carnality was slacked, the yearning of the heart grew stronger. She'd wanted to become more to Sera, and after receiving a hat from Sera as a gift, of sorts, she was determined to show her just how much.

But for all her brainstorming, she realized she couldn't fathom what sort of present could communicate such sentiment to Sera. The others were of minimal help, though some were at least a bit more encouraging in their support for their relationship then others. She dared say she'd almost felt like smacking Cassandra and Solas after what they'd said. At least with Vivienne the response she got was to be expected. Suffice to say she'd declined her suggestion. She lacked enough hair down there to do anything with anyway.

So, out of ideas, she had tackled the issue the same way she handled all others before it: head-on.

Dragging Sera up to her chambers she admitted to her situation, in full detail, hoping to at least impress Sera with the effort of getting her whatever it was she asked for in the end.

"Wait, you went around telling everyone I was your lover? To their _faces_?"

She had blinked as Sera doubled over in loud, bright laughter.

"Oh, Vivienne must have puckered _pinkie-tight_." She'd wheezed, miming her hands to the ceiling, before trotting forward and throwing her arms around her. "Best gift _ever_." She declared with honest affection.

Mhyrra threaded her hands through her hair, smiling and eyes shining. "Of course I did. I would never hide how I feel about you, Sera. Nor, frankly, do I think I'd be able to." She finished with a chuckle.

Sera beamed up at her. "There's a difference between _knowing_ and having it _rubbed in your face_, yeah?" Then she heaved with al her might, Mhyrra's lack of resistance allowing her to tip her onto the bed, followed by clambering on top of her. "Heh, I'll show you. On your face. Because I said…Just _come here_." She finished as she plunged down, claiming her lips, the mood sweetening and heating within seconds.

And now here they were, all this time later, she the Inquisitor, Sera her belle, the both of them together and in love, the only damages a perforated fop and a newfound distaste for raisins. Mhyrra would most definitely qualify that as a more-than-generous exchange.

Still, something in her couldn't stop thinking that she should consider ideas to get Sera _some_ form deliberate, slightly-more-tangible gift at one point or other. But, still she wondered, what? What on Thedas do you get someone who never seemed to want for anything? That golden-haired, lightning-hearted cuckoo-bud that had struck into her life with the force of a hurricane?

As if thinking the very words had summoned their namesakes into her mind, the thought broke into her head with whirling _whoosh_ and a sparkling _zap_. Grinning, she bounded several flights of stairs to the Undercroft, marching right up to the Inquisition's perpetually cheery Arcanist.

"Hey there Mhyrra! How's it going?" Dagna greeted with her usual enthusiasm.

"Dagna…" Still grinning, Mhyrra brought her hands forward and rubbed them together, lightning crackling around them. "I need your help to make something _special_."

Dagna beamed.

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><p>"Ow! Shite!" Sera cursed for what she felt must be the twentieth time. For all her telling Varric that knitting was brilliant and "like stabby sewing", she'd forgotten about the parts where she stabbed <em>herself<em> with the bloody needles. Least it wasn't as bad as an arrow.

Plus, knitting with silk was hard. She'd tried getting a book to learn better, but ended up tossing it. To many over-fancy words, not enough pictures.

Ever since she'd found those silk bolts lying about, she'd been thinking of making something with them. Then after Mhyrra had gone all over town with the whole gift thing, she got the perfect plan to make something for _her_!

Several idea had been gone through.

First she'd thought of underpants, but scratched that. Couldn't figure her size right, and they'd just end up tossed on the floor of Mhyrra's room every other day. Or Sera's, if she ever thought to…"borrow them".

A tit-thing had been next, but no again. Same problems, and too bloody complicated. Plus, Sera was of the _completely_ unbiased opinion that Mhyrra didn't need or want one.

When the idea of a scarf hit her, she almost rejected it as well, but she was out of inspiration, it was simple enough, and for some reason, the image of Mhyrra wearing a light-blue silk scarf was considerably appealing.

She'd been at it for a while now. The scarf had to be big and long enough – she snorted the first time she thought it – to fit its recipient after all, and all the needle-pricks weren't making it any easier.

But after spending practically all day finishing it up, Sera finally put down the needles and lifted up the complete project to admire her handiwork.

About as long as Mhyrra was tall and the colour of robin's egg. Nothing fancy, but she knew Mhyrra wasn't really all that critical when it came to clothes. And she felt inexplicably proud of giving something she'd _made_ with her own two hands, rather than found or nicked, to somebody that _mattered_.

When had _that_ happened she wondered. Before, everyone and everything had been easy come, easy go. That had suited her just fine. Between that pride-whore noble, the elfy shits and all the other weirdies, let the prats roll right on by and the good ones stay as long as they did.

And then she met _her_. Marching right into Val Royaux, "Ponce City" at its finest, slagging off fops and taking names. She'd hadn't seen many Qunari before, much less Qunari magic-tossers, but this Qunari magic-tosser was the only "important person" who seemed to have her head out of her arse and was talking about what really mattered instead of "tradition" and shite like that.

So she'd laid an invitation right at her feet. And then she met her face to face.

_Andraste's tits._ Which she was positive, now ever more than before, had _nothing_ on Mhyrra's tits. Or the rest of her. Sera still bit her lip hard as she remembered making her purr. Right before Mhyrra made her _sing_.

But pretty things had come and gone before. Sure Mhyrra was literally more _phoauh _than all the rest put together and doubled. But if _that_ had been _it_, she wouldn't have chatted her up so much. Lit up every time she came to talk to her. Wouldn't have stuck with this "Inquisition" after things started getting weird. And by weird she meant a frikkin' Archdemon and its arsehole crag-face of an owner.

Actually, that last bit might have been from Mhyrra showing her what it meant to really stick by something you wanted. And she wanted to help make the world better again. She wanted to help Mhyrra.

And that really was the thing, wasn't it. For all Mhyrra was _woof_ on the outside, she was thousand times more _wow_ on the inside. That's what made her matter. To everyone. To her.

She shook herself from her musings, scarf still in hand. Enough sappy navel-staring.

Digging around her room for an empty wooden box, she carefully folded the scarf inside, hoisted it up securely against her chest, and sped off to find her Inky.

She wasn't in her room. Or the library, or the war room or anywhere else she thought to look. Nobody else seemed to know where she was. Until she asked Josephine, surprisingly.

"She might still be in the Undercroft. That's where she had a lot of the materials we've received from our allies sent." She chewed the tail of her quill. "I wonder what she's doing. She's been there I think since early this morning."

Sera wasted no time to find out, racing down there. Still no Inky.

"Oh hi there Sera!" Dagna waved, grin in place as always, though for some reason a bit wider, even as some soot still blackened her cheek. "If you're looking for Mhyrra, you just missed her! She went up to her room."

Huffing, Sera trudged up the stairs once more, kicking open the door to find Mhyrra fiddling with something on her bed, who didn't jump at the noise, too used to Sera's exuberance by now.

"_There_ you are! Been' looking all over for you!"

Mhyrra merely covered what she'd been doing under a sheet before facing her with a smile.

"Sorry I haven't been around today. Had something really important to do."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Wha'ever, I got something for you!"

At this Mhyrra was straightened in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah really! Here!"

She plonked the box in Mhyrra's arms, which closed reflexively around it. She looked at it, then back at Sera's grinning face.

"Well go on! Open it!"

Blinking and mentally slapping herself, Mhyrra opened the lid and peered inside. A bundle of blue greeted her. Reaching inside, she pulled it up until the entirety hung from her hand, realization hitting her. She grasped, felt and traced the whole length of the thing, nervousness starting to grasp Sera tighter with each motion.

"So? Made it myself. Well, wasn't _hard_ but wasn't _easy_ either. Thought of making you underwear or a tit-thing first, but…"

Mhyrra turned to her, a bemused smirk breaking out despite herself.

"A "tit-thing"? You mean a brassiere?"

Another eye-roll. "Well excuuuse me, miss big-words. Do you _like it _or_ not_?" Her voice shrilled at the end, and she nearly winced.

Mhyrra softened, crouching in front of Sera, eyes glowing and smile gentle.

"Sera, you went out of your way to give me something you made yourself, because you wanted to and because you thought, correctly, that I might like it. And it's _beautiful_. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

There she did it again. Mhyrra always knew what to say to turn her to mushy butter inside. Honey-tongue she was, born, bred and raised, Sera would wager. Or maybe it was just her.

Mhyrra tilted her head a little. "Can you help me put it on though? My hair and horns might make it a bit hard by myself."

Sera blinked, and nearly smacked herself for forgetting such an obvious detail. Shoving the thought aside, she stepped behind Mhyrra, holding up that hair that felt more glorious to her than any silk, as Mhyrra wrapped the scarf around her neck, once, twice, and once again.

She stood, and they both walked over to the simple mirror Mhyrra had in the corner.

Mhyrra looked into it, curling her fingers down her hair and through the scarf, while Sera looked at _her_. The way she'd done it, if you squinted, it looked as though from the collarbone down, Mhyrra hair suddenly frosted over into long, fluffy, billowy blue ribbons.

"Woof." She blurted, though the usual bark was missing in favour of soft, simple affection.

Mhyrra's beaming expression held similar sentiment as she turned to her.

"It's perfect. I love it." She leaned down, cupping Sera's face in her hands, lips a hairsbreadth apart. "I love _you_, Sera."

As Sera's eyes widened, she kissed her. Long, deep and hard. A heartbeat later, Sera's eyes drifted shut as she kissed back with equal passion, hopping up into Mhyrra's embrace, as had practically become their private little ritual.

There they were, Mhyrra standing, hands under Sera's seat and behind her head, deepening the kiss further as the golden-haired lass fisted her hands in Mhyrra's locks, occasionally grabbing at her horns.

Eventually, _very_ eventually, they parted for air, breathing hard and flushed, Sera laying her head on Mhyrra's shoulder, her great big beautiful Qunari holding her close as they both panted.

"Hah…hah…Love you too…Myrri."

Mhyrra shivered at the words, in complete paradox to the warmth from the scarf and the warmth bubbling and overflowing from her heart, beginning to leak through her eyes. She held Sera just that little bit closer, kissing the back of her head.

"To think…it took you this long before you started calling me something sensible!" She managed, before breaking down in euphoric giggles.

"H-hey!" Sera tried, before joining her wholeheartedly.

As the fit died down, they both just stayed like that, unwanting and unwilling to move, all feeling right and perfect in the world, shrunk down to just the two of them.

After a while though, Sera's initial budding curiosity fully bloomed.

"Wha' exactly _were_ you doin' all day?"

A moment for Mhyrra's brain to refocus, before she grinned and carried Sera back over to the bedside, reluctantly – on both their parts – lowering her to her feet, shaky as they still felt. She turned to the sheet, grasping and flinging it to the side.

Sera gaped, hands flying to her mouth.

A bow. Silver and shining, reminding her of Mhyrra's hair, only more metal-y. Sleek and intricate in every aspect, elegant rune-like scrawling carved into it. The limbs curving, sharp on the outside and pointy at the tips, to serve as final resorts should the enemy get too close. The grip was wrapped in scarlet dragonling hide.

Mhyrra gently motioned her to pick it up. Sera stared at her, disbelieving.

_For _me_?_ Her eyes spoke.

Mhyrra nodded, smile warm.

Sera turned to, to this _gift_ before her, _for_ her, and slowly, tentatively reached out, until her fingers closed around the grip, and lifted.

Not light, but not heavy. A good weight, a weight made just for her, just like the grip which seemed to mould itself to her hand, an indescribable tingling resonating through her as she held it. She plucked the cord, and it_ thrummed_, shooting up her arm and making the hairs on her neck fizz.

"The core is Stormheart." Mhyrra espoused as Sera marvelled. "The outside is Silverite, and the cord is woven from Dragon-String."

Only then did Sera notice the bow's span was relatively small, even for her. A shortbow. Which struck her as odd considering Mhyrra was well aware of her penchant for longbows.

As if reading her mind, Mhyrra continued.

"_And_ it's packed with more enchantments than your average staff, along with some simply clever construction. You can thank Dagna for helping me with that. Try gripping it really tight, think of a dragon beating its great big wings."

Sera did just that. With a distinct whirring noise, the limbs sprung wider, like wings unfurling before taking flight, until they were almost as wide as Sera was tall, the cord lengthening alongside, still just as tight.

Sera gaped again, as Mhyrra grinned wider.

"So it's easier to sling it across your back before whipping it out and blasting fools. And _there's_ the best part. It can charge the arrows you fire from it with lightning, sure, but try plucking at the grip and pulling back, right here, right now, without an arrow but as if you were firing one."

Confused but trusting Mhyrra implicitly, Sera again complied. As soon as her fingertips closed around nothing, _something_ began to glow and crackle, and as she pulled back into the cord on reflex, it, the energy, stretched and warped into the basic shape of an arrow shaft.

Fingers stiffening in shock, she loosed the sparking bolt, which zipped of with the speed and sound of an actual lightning bolt, tearing clean through the window, leaving behind a smouldering hole, arcing straight on into the horizon, gone in a flash.

Stunned silence ticked by. Even Mhyrra wasn't expecting it to be that strong. Maybe they would need to practice on the calibration…

"That. WAS. _WICKED!_"

Mhyrra blinked at Sera's exuberant shout, before shaking her head and resuming her grin.

"Well, that was the idea. This way, even if you run out of arrows, you'll never run out of mayhem! Oh and, I hope it's alright but, I already sort of thought of…well a name for it, really. All the best weapons have names and stories behind them after all. This one's "Zinger"." She clasped Sera's shoulder, gazing down into her eyes. "Because that's sure what it feels like to have you around Sera. Ever since you 'zinged' into my life, you bring the 'zing' with you everywhere you go, in everything you do." She squeezed lightly. "Sound good to you?"

Sera nodded vividly, ecstatic, grinning up at her, folding and clutching her gift to her chest like her most precious treasure.

Her gift…from Mhyrra.

Sera's grin faltered as her gaze lowered, eyes starting to mist over, sniffling.

Stunned at the abrupt shift, Mhyrra kneeled close and held her by both shoulders.

"Sera…?"

"Aw piss…M' sorry. Just…" She hiccupped. "First time anyone ever really gave me something. Something just for me, something _real_ and honest…Someone that mattered, that I _know_ matters and…that I matter for too." Here her wet eyes found Mhyrra's.

Softening, Mhyrra gently pried Zinger from Sera's grasp, setting it aside, before moving up to hug her fully.

"You _do_ matter, Sera. And you always will. To me, and also to all our friends we've made here. I don't know if you're feeling _that_ mushy yet, but, if you'll yourself think it…we're your family now, if you'd have us. And that's what family does. They care and they love, and they're _always_ there for you." She hugged tighter. "_I'm_ always here for you. Whether in person or every time Zinger fries a fool from here on."

Sera burst into laughter through her tears.

"Well, you already turned me into mush, don't see why not. Thought jus' so you know, I'd rather have you in person while we _both_ roast arseholes _together_."

They both laughed.

"Now I feel pretty stupid though." Sera admitted. "Here you made me this _awesome_, grand thing, and I just made you a silly scarf."

Mhyrra shook her head.

"I had help. You made it on your own. And more importantly, you already gave me the best thing anyone ever could, that no one else ever has or ever could."

"And that's…?"

She pecked her on the lips.

"You. Letting me get to know the real you. Loving you. Just you, Sera."

"Right, now you're doing it on purpose!" Sera flustered.

"Well, I'm certainly not loving you by accident."

"Stop that! I mean it!" Her words belied her reddening cheeks and happy tears.

"I'll never stop loving you Sera. It's not going to happen."

Sera looked about ready to scream, in joy or mock-frustration or both, before she suffused herself, pulling back and then pulling Mhyrra forward by her scarf into a languid kiss.

"Well then I guess there's going to be a lot of _thankin' and lovin'_ goin' round tonight." Sera whispered sultrily. She tugged at the scarf again. "You can keep your scarf on."

Mhyrra smirked. "Woof."

Sera beamed back. "Zing."

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><p><span><em><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>_ Merry Christmas everyone!

Sooo. My first honest-to-god fanfiction. That I upload to

Welp, we'll see how it goes!^^

This is not however, the very first piece of fanfiction I write, nor is it my first posting of this one. Originally, this was posted on deviantArt, where I have the exact same username, where you can find both it and the rest if it strikes your fancy.^^

Now about this piece itself:

I. Love. Dragon Age. And with the burst of inspiration from Inquisition, I just couldn't deny it anymore. I HAD to actually write something about it!  
>Now as you might surmise from the piece itself, this is not the beginning of Mhyrra Adaar's - my main Inquisitor - journey. In fact, you might recognize that it's actually pretty far ahead in the narrative.<p>

I WILL, hopefully, one day start putting down the full Story of Lady Inquisitor Mhyrra Adaar, but this is the ONE idea that would just not get out of my head. So it had to come first. Think of it as a first taste.^^

Longer than any other piece I've written before, let me tell you, writting this was incredibly awesome and satisfying, but damn if I didn't have to wrestle for it.  
>I'm gonna be entirely honest: when I first started this piece, the whole point was to build up to Mhyrra giving Sera Zinger.<br>Yes, originally this fluffy behemoth's entire purpose was to essentially allow me to showcase Mhyrra giving Sera a cool, fun and plausible excuse for never running out of arrows as well as, admitedly, squeezing in some fluffy feels.  
>But as I went along and the ideas building up and around took focus, primarily the things written in Sera's journal when you romance her, and as we are litterally Christmas as I was and am writting this, the feels just...ran away with me, sucking me up into this great big glorious mushy romance scene.<br>And I love it even more this way.^^ I regret nothing.  
>Yes I know it's sappy and mushy as all hell, but hey, again, blame it on Christmas Time bringing out my inner super-sappy romantic out in full force. Like Cassandra.^^<br>So if in my subsequent pieces you wonder were Sera got her new wonderful toy, the answer: Second Best Gift Ever. The first? Mhyrra.^^  
>I think I'm going to stop here before I gush anymore mushy nonsense. X)<br>So here my little Christmas Present to you all everyone!  
>From me, Mhyrra, Sera and everyone in the Dragon Age and Bioware Family, we wish you a Glorious Feastday, A Very Merry Christmas, and A Jolly Happy New Year!^^<br>Cheers and Warm Tidings to You and all your Kin everyone! Your all awesome and amazing!


End file.
